1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of optical microscopy, and more specifically to an apparatus for enhancing magnification.
2. Prior Art
The prior art in the area of optical microscopes that entails the use of prisms as reflectors to achieve an enhanced capability are, on the one hand, limited to systems seeking to create a dual objective as, for example, to view a specimen at either two different magnifications or from two different directions at the same time, and other hand, microscopes seeking to achieve a stereoscopic effect at the eyepiece thereof, that is, a three-dimensional viewing of a specimen. The prior art which reflects one or more of these goals is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,363 (1992) to Nagano; U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,198 (1997) to Schoppe; U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,408 (1998) to Otaki; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,01 (2000) to Zavislan.
The present invention is also an improvement of the microscope module set forth in my application, now abandoned, of US. 2002/0181094 A1.
Of the above, only the reference to Otaki exhibits any awareness of the capability of the use of reflecting and deflecting prisms to effect a change of the external size or geometry of the microscope itself. Also, none of these references, or others known to the inventor, suggests the use of selectable combinations and positioning of wedge or triangular prisms to effectively increase the length of the optical path between the eyepiece and the objective to thereby increase the magnification of the optical microscope. Further, Otaki employs a three-dimensional path, which is not employed herewith.
Other prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,602 (1972) to Clave. It does not utilize an optical path of orthonormal rows and columns of mirrors or prisms, as taught herein, makes use of a Barlow amplifier, and does not employ a dual beam light path within the magnification module.
The present invention meets a long felt need in the art for a conventional microscope of enhanced modification but without significant increase in cost, size or complexity.